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The grass is greening, animals are popping out of their winter dens, it’s a great time to pick up a book and learn about what happens in the world when spring has sprung. Here are a few titles that feature animal babies, budding flowers, and pollen.

Daisylocks
by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Cathy Morrison

Daisylocks needs a home that is just right. She asks Wind to help her find the perfect habitat to spread her roots, and he accepts the challenge. Wind blows Daisylocks to the plain, the mountain and the wetland. She objects to each place one by one—too cold, too hard, too wet. Daisylocks is not ready to give up! They try the humid rainforest and then the warm beach; those are not just right either. Will Wind find the perfect climate and soil for Daisylocks to place her roots and grow into a beautiful flower?

Achoo!
by Shennen Bersani

Spring has arrived and pollen is in the air. Baby Bear does not like the pollen—it sticks to his fur and makes him itchy and sneezy. He’s allergic! Achoo! He just wishes the pollen were gone. When his friends gather to tell him why they need pollen, Baby Bear learns that pollen is good for the forest and provides food for many animals, including him! Pollen might be something we all love to hate, but can we really live without it? This story explains why we need it.

In My Backyard
by Valarie Giogas, illustrated by Katherine Zecca

Baby dogs are puppies and they belong to a litter, but what is a baby skunk called and what is the name of its family group? This clever, rhythmic story tells us just that! Counting from one to 10, familiar backyard animals are introduced by baby and family group name. Each stanza also tells a bit more about each animal by providing clues as to what they eat, how they sound or where they live. The “For Creative Minds” section includes more animal fun facts, information on keeping a nature journal and how to watch for wildlife in your own backyard.

Henry the Heron couldn’t stand still! He was always moving, and it drove everyone crazy! His brother and sister yelled at him for stepping on their heads, and Mom and Dad could barely get food into his little baby mouth. But herons have to stand still to catch their food, so how would Henry ever be able to eat on his own? In Henry the Impatient Heron, Donna Love takes readers along with Henry as he learns a valuable lesson from the King of Camouflage! Hilarious and lighthearted illustrations by Christina Wald complement the important lesson in the text. It is a meaningful lesson for both herons and kids alike, which teaches the importance of just being still!

Otis the Owl
by Mary Holland

In beautifully detailed photographs, Mary Holland captures the first few months of a baby barred owl’s life. The huge eyes and fluffy feathers will steal the hearts of readers as they learn how barred owl parents ready their young owlets for the big world outside the nest. Follow along as Otis learns to eat, fights with his sister, and prepares for flight.

Meet Veronica V. Jones, Moonlight Crab Count is her debut picture book and we think it is pretty great! We learned a lot about Veronica when we did this short interview get to know her too!

This is your debut children’s book, when did you decide to pursue a career in illustration?

I’ve been working as an illustrator for a long time. Soon after I graduated from university in 1995, I realized I wanted to work as an illustrator. I started sending out mailers and emails to companies who might like my work. My first break was getting to work as a graphic designer, first for a company that made novelty photo sticker booths, then for a government contractor. This gave me a lot of valuable experience with new tools and software, as well as the business of commercial art. When my husband and I were about to welcome our first child in 2000, I decided to work as a freelance illustrator (and stay home mom) full time. I spent a long time creating artwork for the hobby tabletop game market, that is, collectible card games and roleplaying games, which use a lot of action, fantasy and science fiction art. In 2010, I decided I wanted to start doing artwork for children’s books and that’s where my heart has been ever since!

Can you discuss the difference between illustrating for children and adults? Is one more challenging the other? (If so, why?)

I think my work for children’s books is actually more challenging. My projects for adults these days are for the covers of novels. You have to tell a little bit of the story while also making a design that will be easy to figure out whether it’s on a bookshelf in a store or a tiny thumbnail on the Amazon website. However, for my children’s books, I have to do all of that and then the 13 or so interior spreads to accompany the story. I have to make sure the characters stay consistent so that Leena, for example, looks like Leena whether we’re at the start of her story, the middle, or the end. While I can usually wrap up an adult novel project in 2-3 months, a children’s picture book can take 6 months or more!

Have you always known you wanted to be an artist? What is your favorite media to work with (and why)?

Ever since I was little, I’ve always known I loved to create. I enjoyed making art for myself, and my friends but I didn’t really think about it as a job. Luckily, I met a medical illustrator who convinced me to start looking into illustration as an option.

I tried out a lot of different media to learn what would be the best fit for me. While I’ve enjoyed working with acrylics, pastels, pen and ink and colored pencil. For my work, I prefer my digital paintbrush. It gives me a lot of control, flexibility and speed, which is ideal when you’re working on a project.

Did you draw when you were a kid? (Please provide details and/or a specific example.)

I drew ALL. THE. TIME!! So much so, I would get in trouble sometimes. The margins of my notebooks would be covered in doodles and I would practice poses from my favorite comic books like Spiderman. I remember in 7th grade drawing a ballerina I was particularly proud that it was shown off in the school art show.

What books (or illustrators) have inspired you?

There are so many books that have shaped me to be the person I am today. I was a voracious reader as far back as I remember, spending all the extra time I could both in my school library and the public library. Back in elementary school, I grew acquainted with Fudge and Ramona Quimby, went through the wardrobe to Narnia, and sleuthed with Encyclopedia Brown. As I grew older, I read all of the Anne of Green Gables books and all of the Nancy Drew mysteries. I read the Hardy Boys, but they weren’t as fun. I LOVED books by Robin McKinley (still do!) like “The Blue Sword” and “Hero and the Crown”. In high school I expanded to mystery and horror, reading Agatha Christie novels and Stephen King. I vividly remember reading “It” during final exams in the gym.

As for artists, I’ve been especially inspired by Norman Rockwell and Alphonse Mucha. I greatly admire the work of more recent illustrators Michael Whelan, Donato Giancola, Todd Lockwood and Tony DiTerlizzi. It was Tony’s work on the Spiderwick Chronicles that led me to think about jumping into art for the children’s book market.

Research is an important part of illustration. Can you explain how you learned about horseshoe crabs for “Moonlight Crab Count”? What is one fact that you didn’t know before you started?

Research is critically important to my process. I research not just the animals, but the objects, boats, houses and landscapes that a story is set in. For Moonlight Crab Count, I needed to do a lot of research on horseshoe crabs to make sure they came out right. I found out what kind of animal they are – not a crab at all but more closely related to spiders, as well as where they come up on land to reproduce (Mid-Atlantic seashore). One fact that completely blew my mind was that the horseshoe crab doesn’t have 2 eyes like we do but 10 eyes!

How do you begin Moonlight Crab Count, or tell us about your creative process?

When I work on the artwork for a book like Moonlight Crab Count, my first step is to read the story over and over. I want to know whom the story is about and what happens. I try to start picturing the story in my head. Other artists use pencils, watercolor or acrylic paint for their art. While I may use some of those tools, my main tool is a computer. I use drawing and paint programs and a special pen and tablet to draw and paint on the computer.

Before I draw the pictures to go with the story, I need to come up with what the main characters will look like. For Leena, her mom, and Bobie the Boxer, I looked at a lot of pictures and sketched A LOT. Next, I start to do research to make sure that everything looks the way it’s supposed to. That means reading up on the places, things, and animals that show up in the story and keeping copies of pictures that I can return to later.

When I’m ready to start drawing, I make a version of the story on my computer. In this version, I split up the text into different pages with lots of blank space for drawing. Then I carefully go page-by-page and start to sketch out ideas for pictures that will accompany the text. These first sketches can be VERY simple. This is called a book dummy. I come up with simple sketches for each page then go back and make them into detailed drawings. As I’m drawing, I review the research I collected at the start to help me draw the people, animals, and places realistically. Once all these detailed drawings have been approved, I start painting! Like my drawings, I use my computer to paint.

As I paint, I make sure to look at all the pictures side by side to make sure the colors go together and look like they belong together. Once I finish, I submit these to the publisher. Generally, there is some back and forth as we change little things to make the text stand out better or to make sure the details are right. For Midnight Crab Count, we went back and forth on the lights on Leena’s boat. I don’t have a lot of experience with boats, so my editor was a big help on getting the details of the lights right!

The colors in “Moonlight Crab Count” are beautiful and unusual. Can you talk about the coloration?

The colors of twilight and night are my favorite…the deep blues and indigos, the way the clouds catch the last bits of light to glow in the sky and how colors are muted by the dark. I wanted to really give the impression of the progression of night, so I used very little light just the moon and a few lights, until the final brilliant dawn.

Do you have a favorite illustration in this book?

I have two favorites. I loved how the cover came out. I tried hard to instill a sense of wonder and magic in that moment when Leen sees the horseshoe crabs in the surf. My second favorite is Bobie running towards us with his tongue flapping. He just looks so goofy!

What challenges did you face in illustrating Moonlight Crab Count?

While I’ve illustrated for middle-grade books, Moonlight Crab Count is my first picture book, which is quite different. It was a great learning opportunity. There’s a lot more art required, and illustrators have to keep the character consistent throughout the book, so it’s a bigger job. I loved doing it!

What’s next?

The next book that I’m working on is The Lizard Lady. It’s about a scientist working with endangered land lizards in the US Virgin Islands. It’s a lot of fun because who doesn’t like tiny little lizards?

What advice can you offer to aspiring illustrators?

There are a lot of skills you need to learn to be a successful illustrator. Draw everything you see around you. Draw your favorite characters (like Spiderman!) but also the things you don’t like to draw, like feet, or cars or the trees. Try to learn different media like paints, pastels or markers so you know which are your favorites. Practice telling stories with your art.

Do you visit schools and/or teach illustration to children?

I’m very excited to start visiting schools to tell them about my work as an illustrator. Every summer I teach art classes to kids and teens at my local recreation centers. These classes aren’t long, but they’re FUN! I love to hang out with kids and see the world from their point of view, so I’m really looking forward to getting into classrooms and meeting more kids.

Congratulations to all of our spring authors and illustrators it is book launch day!

This season we have pairs of fun. For budding young scientists, we have Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story and Moonlight Crab Count. Animal lovers will enjoy reading about the rescue of Honey Girl: The Hawaiian Monk Seal and learning about the adorable ways of owlets in Otis the Owl. Finally, our topography forms in many different ways, giant rocks have a connection to culture in Vivian and the Legend of the Hoodoos. Then, lava flows shaped the Hawaiian Islands, but learn how a town was saved in the 1880’s in A True Princess of Hawai‘i.

Get to know the books and their creators:

Jojo is prepping for an exciting night; it’s time for the bat count! Bats have always been a welcome presence during the summers in the family barn. But over the years, the numbers have dwindled as many bats in the area caught white-nose syndrome. Jojo and her family count the bats and send the numbers to scientists who study bats, to see if the bat population can recover. On a summer evening, the family quietly makes their way to the lawn to watch the sky and count the visitors to their farm.

Hawaiian locals and visitors always enjoy spotting endangered Hawaiian monk seals, but Honey Girl is an extra special case. She has raised seven pups, and scientists call her “Super Mom.” After Honey Girl is injured by a fishhook, she gets very sick. Scientists and veterinarians work to save Honey Girl so she can be released back to the ocean. This true story will have readers captivated to learn more about this endangered species.

Even kids can get involved in science! Ecologist Dr. Neeti Bathala and Jennifer Keats Curtis collaborate to bring us the story of these adventurous citizen scientists. Leena and her mom volunteer each summer to count the horseshoe crabs that visit their beach. With their dog Bobie at their sides, the duo spends a night on the shore surveying horseshoe crabs who have come to mate and lay eggs. Readers will learn valuable facts about these ancient animals and how they can get involved in the effort to conserve horseshoe crabs.

In beautifully detailed photographs, Mary Holland captures the first few months of a baby barred owl’s life. The huge eyes and fluffy feathers will steal the hearts of readers as they learn how barred owl parents ready their young owlets for the big world outside the nest. Follow along as Otis learns to eat, fights with his sister, and prepares for flight.

Nani has always dreamed of being a princess. When a real Hawaiian princess comes to her hometown of Hilo, Nani dresses in her best clothes. But as she watches Princess Luka, who has come to save the town from a volcanic lava flow, Nani learns that there is more to being a princess than fine clothes. This incredible story of kindness and generosity is based on the historical events of the 1880-1881 eruption of Mauna Loa on the Island of Hawai‘i and the real-life Princess Luka.

Long ago, the Old Ones were bad. They drank all the water, ate all the pine nuts, and left nothing for the other creatures. Sinawav the coyote punished them by turning them into rocky hoodoos. Now when children misbehave, their Paiute elders remind them that they too could be turned into stone columns! Vivian has heard the stories, but this year as she and her grandmother climb the mesa to pick pine nuts, Vivian has something more important on her mind: basketball tryouts. When Vivian is disrespectful to the trees and the land, her grandmother must remind Vivian of the legend of the hoodoos and how nature has made it possible for her people to live.

If you are like us, shopping is tops on your to-do list this season. Finding the perfect present can be tricky and so here are a few of our favorites that are perfect for the little reader in your family.

Snowy books for a cold winter’s day

Have you read The Mitten more times than you can count? Tuktuk: Tundra Tale by Robin Currie is a fun take on the familiar story.

As the sun begins to set, arctic animals scurry to prepare for six months of darkness and cold. Tuktuk the collared lemming is almost ready for the long winter night – all he needs is warm fur to line his nest. When one furry kamik (boot) slips off an Inuit driver’s sled, Tuktuk is in luck! But as he drags it home, Putak the polar bear, Aput the arctic fox, and Masak the caribou eye this little lemming’s prize and want it for their own. Can Tuktuk outwit the other animals and convince them that one furry kamik is no good for anyone bigger than a lemming?

When ancient creatures are a favorite, try Wandering Woolly! Andrea Gabriel’s love of woolly mammoths blends a variety of extinct animals with a tale of getting into trouble and trusting your instincts.

Little Woolly leaves her mother behind as she chases a toad down to the river. When the glacial ice breaks, she is swept away in the rumbling, rolling water. Now alone, the mammoth calf struggles to survive. She must sneak past cave lions, bears, saber-toothed cats and humans. Exhausted and afraid, she must even hide from stormy weather as she fights her way back to her herd. How can she find them? Will she ever get back?

It’s a Mystery!

Whether it is a contest for the most dangerous beast in all the land or a race to find the thief, these two books will keep kids guessing until the end.

Dangerous animals from all over the world gather for the Most Dangerous Animal of All Contest. Snakes, spiders, sharks . . . who will the winner be? Deadly poison, huge teeth, razor -sharp horns, and fearsome feet are just a few of the ways that animals kill. Predators mean to kill. Prey simply defend themselves. And yet, the unexpected most deadly-animal doesn’t mean to harm at all!

Someone stole a cake from the cake contest—who could it be? Twelve animal bakers are potential suspects but Detective Duck uses his deductive reasoning skills to “quack” the case. After all, the thief left hairs behind so the thief wasn’t a bird. Follow along as he subtracts each suspect one at a time to reveal just who the culprit was. This clever story will have children of all ages giggling at the puns and the play on words. Key phrases for educators: subtraction, deductive reasoning, animal adaptations, puns/play on words.

When you can’t get enough rhythm and rhyme

Head to faraway places and meet unique animals as readers sing-song their way through these two books!

Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life. The jungle comes alive as children learn about the wide variety of creatures lurking in the lush Amazon rainforest in this clever adaptation of the song “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” Search each page to find unique rainforest bugs and butterflies hiding in the illustrations. Delve even deeper into the jungle using sidebars and the “For Creative Minds” educational section, both filled with fun facts about the plants and animals, how they live in the rainforest and the products we use that come from the rainforest.

From the “crocodile’s dentist,” to the “mongoose spa,” Animal Partners takes a whimsical look at symbiotic relationships of animals large and small. Although many animals live in groups of the same kind, here you will learn how some animals form unique partnerships with different species. After all, don’t we all need a little help from our friends?

We hope this list makes your holiday shopping easier. Visit our online store for great deals on these titles with the code HOLIDAY30.

It is Bat Week! Did you know that bats are needed to control pests, spread seeds, and pollinate plants? Scientists learn a lot about the welfare of bat populations based on the crops that they help grow. And on October 31st we may be spooked out by the nocturnal winged creatures, but did you know that they help make the chocolate in our trick-or-treat bags?

Bat week is all about helping conserve the more than 1,100 species that live on every continent except Antarctica, and Bat Conservation International has many different ways that you can help bats that live in your neighborhood. Check it out!

If you want to get the facts first, here is an Arbordale booklist that will make you go batty!

Home in the Cave – by Janet Halfmann, illus. by Shennen Bersani

Baby Bat loves his cave home and never wants to leave it. While practicing flapping his wings one night, he falls, and Pluribus Packrat rescues him. They then explore the deepest, darkest corners of the cave where they meet amazing animals—animals that don’t need eyes to see or colors to hide from enemies. Baby Bat learns how important bats are to the cave habitat and how other cave-living critters rely on them for their food. Will Baby Bat finally venture out of the cave to help the other animals?

Little Red Bat – by Carole Gerber, illus. by Christina Wald

Red bats can hibernate or migrate to warmer regions during the winter. Should this solitary little bat stay or should she go? That’s the question the little red bat ponders as the leaves fall and the nights get colder! Some animals, such as the squirrel, tell her to stay. But what about the dangerous creatures that hunt red bats in winter? The sparrow and others urge her to go. But where? Carole Gerber takes young readers on an educational journey through one bat’s seasonal dilemma in Little Red Bat. Imaginative illustrations by Christina Wald give little red bat charm and personality, and children will be waiting and wondering what will happen next. Will the little red bat stay put or migrate south for safety and warmth?

The Rainforest Grew All Around – by Susan K. Mitchell, illus. by Connie McLennan

Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life. The jungle comes alive as children learn about the wide variety of creatures lurking in the lush Amazon rainforest in this clever adaptation of the song “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” Search each page to find unique rainforest bugs and butterflies hiding in the illustrations. Delve even deeper into the jungle using sidebars and the “For Creative Minds” educational section, both filled with fun facts about the plants and animals, how they live in the rainforest and the products we use that come from the rainforest.

Catchy desert twists on traditional children’s songs and poems will have children chiming in about cactuses, camels, and more as they learn about the desert habitat and its flora and fauna. Tarkawara hops on the desert sand instead of a kookaburra sitting in an old gum tree. And teapots aren’t the only things that are short and stout—just look at the javelina’s hooves and snout. Travel the world’s deserts to dig with meerkats, fly with bats, and hiss with Gila monsters! Whether sung or read aloud, Deep in the Desert makes learning about deserts anything but dry.

And Coming in spring of 2017 Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story
by Anna Forrester, illus. by Susan Detwiler

Jojo is prepping for an exciting night; it’s time for the bat count! Bats have always been a welcome presence during the summers in the family barn. But over the years, the numbers have dwindled as many bats in the area caught White Nose Syndrome. Jojo and her family count the bats and send the numbers to scientists who study bats, to see if the bat population can recover. On a summer evening, the family quietly makes their way to the lawn to watch the sky and count the visitors to their farm.

Compare how your legs work with the action of a frog’s legs or the webbing of an otter’s feet in Mary Holland’s new release Animal Legs. This is the third book in the Animal Anatomy & Adaptations series, and a perfect place for young readers to find amazing facts about the lives of animals found in their backyard.

We asked Mary Holland about her inspiration for Animal Legs and here is part of that interview.

A: Whose Animal Legs do you find most interesting?

MH: I’m afraid this is too hard a question to answer, as I find the many different ways that animals use their legs equally interesting. One of my favorites is a mole’s front paws. They look just like paddles to me, and the perfect tools to dig with. I also find the flap of skin that goes from a flying squirrel’s front legs to its back legs and allows it to glide through the air a remarkable adaptation. The fact that katydid ears are on their legs is pretty amazing, too!

A: Is there an animal/fact that you wish you could have included in the book or series but it just didn’t fit?

MH: There are so many animals that have such interesting feet and legs that I can’t even begin to count them, but one group that may have the most is insects. I could only fit a few of them in the book. Grasshoppers “sing” by rubbing their legs against their wings! Have you ever looked closely at a cicada’s front legs? They are pretty scary looking! Butterflies taste with their feet!

A: What is the most unusual predicament you have faced photographing an animal?

MH: I got very close to a young skunk in order to photograph it, and before I knew it, I was covered with skunk spray.

I once was trying to find a porcupine at night that was up in a tree, screaming its head off, and suddenly it fell to the ground about three feet from me. I almost had a head full of quills!

I was tracking a bobcat in late spring that had crossed a beaver pond, and the ice, which had started to melt, gave way (I weighed a lot more than the bobcat) and I fell through the ice into the cold water with snowshoes on. Fortunately, I could touch bottom with the tips of my snowshoes and managed to get out of the pond!

A: What would you like to share with young children about your love for nature?

MH: I feel so very lucky, as each day I get to discover something new. I never know what I’m going to find. I head outdoors, and go on what is to me very much like an Easter egg hunt – I look for animals and their signs and rarely do I come home without having found something new to observe and admire.

A: What do you have coming up next?

MH: I am working on two books. One is called Naturally Curious Day by Day. It describes two or three different animals or plants that you might see each day of the year. I am also writing a book called Otis the Owl, about a young barred owl.

This week we celebrate the release of After A While Crocodile by Dr. Brady Barr and Jennifer Keats Curtis with illustrations by Susan Detwiler.

In the book, a young girl, Alexa, raises an American crocodile with her class in Costa Rica. The story is her science journal of the experience as the crocodile hatches, grows, and swims off after he is released.

Dr. Brady Barr knew he wanted to work with reptiles after spotting his first alligator in the Florida Everglades. Since, he has traveled the world seeking out lizards, snakes, and other creatures to learn more about the 24 different species. In fact, he is the only one to have captured all 24 species in the wild. Readers can watch Brady Barr comb the jungles, forests, and rivers seeking out reptiles on his Nat Geo Wild show Dangerous Encounters with Brady Barr that airs on Saturdays at 10:30.

Co-author Jennifer Keats Curtis is most often found in the wild classrooms of Maryland talking with students about animal conservation and how she helps wildlife by telling stories.

Susan Detwiler’s illustrations bring Jefe and Alexa to life with her detailed realistic style. Like Jennifer, Susan is often found in classrooms talking about her art and love for children’s books.

If you want to spy your own crocodile, a trip on a plane might be in order. Get a copy of After A While Crocodile, download the For Creative Minds section to find out where these crocs live, and educators we have a teaching guide for you too! Visit the book’s homepage for all these downloadable extras. If you just can’t wait to start the croco-fun here is a simple craft for the little ones.

Simply use popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners. Paint the popsicle stick green, and then start in the middle and wrap one pipe cleaner toward the front leaving enough to bend for legs and feet. Then wrap the second pipe cleaner from the middle to the back, also leaving enough room for legs and feet. On the front glue googly eyes and cut teeth from some white paper and glue that to the end. Now you have a crocodile buddy!